


Severed Realities

by Remember_Ember



Category: Youtube RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universes, Character Death, Choice, Dreams, M/M, Nightmares, Septiplier - Freeform, depicted suicide, dreams vs reality, major choices, reality changes, universe jumping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-02-01 01:31:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12694248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Remember_Ember/pseuds/Remember_Ember
Summary: Mark is a strange man with an even stranger past. Mysterious even to himself. Darkness hovers around every corner and latches onto him when he least expects it. He was living as a man in a world of nightmares.Mark is also a happy man living with his boyfriend Jack. And though recently he's been forgetting chunks of his past, one might say, he's living in a dream.But that's just it. Mark is living two lives, a nightmare, and a fantasy.The question is, which is the real world, and which is the dream?





	1. Alone and Afraid

Mark heaved as he leaned forward on his hands and knees.

Bile rose in his throat and he choked on it. It burned as it came up and down as if still deciding if it wanted to surface or not.

Mark whimpered in pain, and he hit the ground with his fist as he convulsed, bile having made its decision.

He groaned as he fell to the hard concrete next to his stomach acid, shivering a little as a cold wind crawled up his back. He turned his face away from the foul-smelling ooze and shakily pulled himself to his knees.

"Where am I..?" He asked himself, as he looked around the seemingly abandoned alley. He spat out some more bile and stood up. He caught himself on the wall with one hand as the other gripped his head. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

A groan fell from his lips as he stumbled to the one end of the alley.  _What happened?_ He thought to himself.

As he walked, Mark could feel finger-like tendrils of... something, crawl up his back and around his shoulders. It seemed to weigh him down, a heavyweight sitting there and waited for its chance to smother him.

He fell forwards, tripping over nothing. He whimpered quietly when pain shot up his arms. He quickly closed his mouth and listened carefully though.

A scraping sound was coming from the end of the alley, like... chains?

Mark was frozen in fear as he listened to the scrapes getting ever so slowly closer. He gasped when he finally saw the figure shuffle its way out of the shadows. They were short, his height and build.

There was a tuft of dark hair sticking out from the wrappings around their head. Dark eyes watched him carefully. And chains hung from almost every part of their body, wrapping them in a blanket of clinking metal. The chains were trailing behind the figure, where they touched the ground, and made awful scratching sounds.

Once the person, the man, was a few feet from him, Mark gasped and stumbled backward. He knew that face. He had seen it every day his entire life, staring at him from the other side of the mirror.

"Look at what you've done," a rasping voice whispered, the air seemingly going instantly still as if holding its breath, "Look at what you've turned us into," The voice said again, as the figure, the other Mark, lifted its arms.

Mark watched in a sick fascination as the chains seemed to bear down on the skin and rip it, as the cloth bindings around their head fell to the ground to reveal hideous markings and scars.

"Look at what you've made us do!" The voice said again, the figure stepping forwards and dragging its chains by its tearing skin. Mark whimpered in fear and tried to move back, but he was frozen in place.

"Look at what  _you've_  turned into!" The voice of his reflection raised to a pained scream and all of a sudden Mark was being pulled down. The wind picked up and wailed in his ears along with the voice, and whipped around his face. The ground gave way beneath him and he was falling.

As he fell, the chains and bindings from the other him began to come towards him, wrapping around him and pulling him down faster into the never-ending abyss. He was soon covered, so completely that he couldn't even scream as he fell.

...

He just kept falling. Falling, falling, falling. Tears welled in his eyes from both fear and the air screaming past him. Laughter began to fill the air around him.

 _"You're mine_ _now_ _Marki..."_ He heard a voice say, and it echoed around him, coming from everywhere at once. The laughter started up again, echoing around him as if millions of people were laughing at once and Mark screamed.

It seemed like forever had passed before he hit the ground. He grunted as tears thundered freely from his eyes. His knees stung from the impact, he probably scraped them.

The laughter had stopped as soon as he had hit the ground, which Mark found both relieving and terrifying.

What was most surprising to Mark though, was that it felt more like he had just fallen to his knees, rather than through the endless abyss of darkness.

After catching his breath, his tears also having stopped and dried, Mark slowly lifted his head from his knees.

What he saw confused him.

A pair of familiar sneakers appeared before his eyes. They were followed by jeans and a black sweater. When his eyes finally landed on the face of the person before him, Marks' eyes traced over the familiar green hair and blue eyes in awe. And a little bit of fear as the darkness from before gripped at his heart.

"Jack?"


	2. Safe and home...

"Jack?" Marks eyes were wide as he looked up at the blue-eyed man.

_What is he doing here? Where did he come from? When did he get here?_

Mark blinked a few times as his vision blurred. He swayed on his knees a bit before falling backward. He watched as Jacks face went from unreadable to full of concern before everything became a blur of color.

"Maerk?" He heard a soft and slightly accented voice say. "Mark ya gotta... -et up..." the voice faded in an out a few times.

"Maerk?" The voice was clearer, definitely male and... Irish maybe? Yeah. That sounded right. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and a light shake went through his body.

Mark blinked up at the man holding him, "Ja-ack?" He mumbled; his tongue felt heavy in his mouth.

"Maerk!" The Irishman said excitedly, "Are ya feelin' okay? You were napping on my shoulder when ya... ya just toppled ov'r. I barely caught ya 'fore ya hit the ground Markimoo. You were groaning somethin' fierce too." He said. Mark could hear the worried tone. He blinked a few more times and something was placed over his eyes. He figured it must have been his glasses because everything behind Jack came into focus.

The first thing he noticed, besides Jack, was that it was bright. Very bright. And there were trees and... they were on a bench?

Mark sat up from Jacks hold and looked around. They were in a park, in the middle of the day.

"Where's the alley?" He asked, looking around, "How'd we get here?" He turned back to Jack to see a confused look on his face.

"Alley? Maerk, we aren't in an alley, haven't been all day... what are ya talkin' about?"

Mark blinked. He could have sworn they were just in a cold dark alley. With darkness and fear and that scraping noise... he felt a hand on his shoulder again, and looked up to find worried eyes.

"Are ya feelin' alright sweetheart?" Jack asked with a small frown. Mark was confused at the nickname,  _sweetheart,_ but he didn't think too hard about it for now.Mark just shook his head slightly.

"'M tired... wanna go home..." he mumbled. Jack just nodded his head and stood up with a small smile.

"Alright, then Markimoo; let's get you back home."

...

By the time they arrived 'home' Mark was nodding off again. He felt another light shake and a soft whisper of ' _We're here_ ' from Jack.

He nodded his head and slowly pulled himself from the car. He almost fell, he would have if Jack hadn't been there. Jacks arms supported him all the way into the house.

Next thing he knew Mark was being tucked under some blankets and lips were pressing against his forehead.

"Goodnight love," he heard Jack whisper before he heard the door close. He smiled to himself and was soon enveloped in a safe and comforting darkness.


	3. What's Going On?

The safe feeling surrounding Mark quickly turned sour. His throat closed and he gasped for breath.

His knees began to hurt as the darkness lifted ever so slightly. He felt a trickle of what he could only describe as evil seep into his soul, and his breathing began to pick up.

_I can hear you..._

A deep voice sang in the darkest parts of his mind. Mark grabbed his head. There was pain. So much pain... His knees had a dull throb in them, his arms ached slightly. Then, as he felt panic rise in his throat and tears well in his eyes, he, again, felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey man, you alright?"

Mark looked up and gasped slightly, his breath being stolen for a brief moment before returning.

"Jack?" He asked again, a little confused.  _Weren't_ _we just at home? In bed? Jack had_ _been_ _there too... how did I... how did we get here?_ Mark wondered.

"... do I know you?" The green haired man asked him, he seemed to flinch back at the name. His blue eyes both calculating and pained. He watched Mark as if he didn't trust him, which confused Mark even more.

"Jack what are you talking about?" Mark asked, "This isn't the time for fooling around. What's going on? What happened while I was sleeping? Why are we here?" He had so many questions, yet seemingly no answers. Though he could remember being here before... Before the happy times. Before Jack. He'd been running from something... running away maybe? He wasn't one hundred percent sure. But Mark was pulled from his thoughts when the other began to speak.

"Hey, look, I don't know what you're on, or how you know my 'old' name, but I have never seen you before in my life."

Mark felt a dull ache in his chest at those words. Like something covered had just shattered inside its protective casing. A protective casing that was still up.

"I... uh... sorry..." Mark mumbled, "I think I'm mistaking you for... someone else," he said sadly. He looked down at the ground and sat on his heels. His throat began to hurt as he held back tears and his eyes seemed to try even harder to shed just one tear.

"Hey... I'm sorry... it's... okay... uh..." the blue-eyed man seemed awkward and stuttered, "Do you, uhm, have anywhere to stay the night?"

Mark looked up, kind of surprised he would ask. He couldn't remember anything that had happened before he started running... he didn't know if he had a home, and if he did he had no idea where it was. Mark just slowly shook his head, lowering his eyes back down from Jacks face to the ground.

"Alright. Come on," the other man smiled and helped Mark to his feet, "We're goin' to my place. And call me Sean, alright? No more with t'hat 'Jack' shite."

Mark just slowly nodded his head, feeling a little detached as he followed the apparent stranger, 'Sean', home.

...

They arrived in a shabby, one-story apartment complex. The way there had been uneventful, the streets practically empty, but the few stragglers that stayed in this godforsaken place. Mark had stayed silent though, mindlessly following the green haired man.

"Where is everyone?" Mark finally asked as Sean opened the door. The slightly shorter man froze and slowly turned around to face Mark.

"Are ya serious?" Sean asked him, an incredulous look on his face.

"Uh... yeah? I don't exactly remember any of the past... the past uh..." he paused, how much did he forget?  "The last thing I remember..." he mumbled to himself. He tried to think, but his head started to hurt.

Mark groaned as he fell to the ground, again, his hands again at his temples.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hey man, calm down... you need ta calm down," Mark took a deep breath and nodded his head.

"Yeah... calm... I can do calm..." he mumbled as he took deep breaths. When Mark finished calming himself,  he looked up to see Sean sitting cross-legged in front of him.

"You really ain't lyin'..." the other mumbled, "You have no idea? Nothin'? What's the last you remember?" Mark just stared at him and nodded his head a bit.

"I, uh... I was running." he said after a few beats of silence, "I don't know why but I was running and... I found that alleyway. And-and I fell through something and then you were right there..." he finished in a rush. Sean's head just moved up and down slightly as his eyes scanned him curiously.

"Good ta know." Sean stood up and held out his hand to help Mark, "Now c'mon. You need sleep. I've got a spare room you can use."

Mark took the offered hand, but frowned, "But what about-"

"I'll explain what's happened tomorrow. Right now, we both need sleep, uh... I don't think I caught your name..?" the blue-eyed man trailed off. Mark smiled a little as Sean showed him through the small apartment.

"I'm Mark, and your Sean, which I know from our... 'introduction' earlier," Mark chuckled a bit. Sean laughed quietly next to him, his eyes seemed to light up the smallest bit before falling emotionless again.

"Yeah, I'm Sean," the other said dully, "And this will be where you can sleep fer now," he said, opening the door and stepping out of the way so Mark could enter.

Mark smiled at Sean and nodded his head in thanks. Sean turned away and waved at him dismissively.

"See ya in the mornin', Mark..."

Mark replied likewise and headed over to the bed. He had no nightclothes and didn't want to bother Sean, felt the guy might get a tad too irritated, so he just collapsed on the bed in his clothes. As sleep began to drag him down into it's waiting arms, Mark heard a soft humming from another room in the apartment...


	4. Love Me Now

Mark sighed as he opened his eyes.

_Where am I..?_

The last thing he remembered was... was... Sean? A shabby apartment in the middle of a desolate town? A sweet accented voice singing in the other room?

No... but that couldn't be right. This ceiling wasn't shabby nor was it falling apart. There were no strange stains on it. And the bed wasn't hard as a rock, but soft and squishy.

"Man, that was one heck of a dream..." he mumbled to himself.

_Now... what really happened before I slept?_

Mark smiled as he remembered Jack leaning over him and helping him to bed. He looked over to the dresser to see a picture of him and Jack. His smile grew as he reached over to trace Jacks face on the picture.

"You know I think I'm starting to get jealous of my own picture," he heard a voice say from the doorway. Marks head whipped over to the side before he relaxed, realizing it was only Jack.

"Aw, you want your Markimoo to pet your face Jacky?" Mark said in a teasing voice.

Jack just rolled his eyes from the door way and sauntered into the room. "Maybe," he whispered, stealing a kiss when he sat next to Mark.

It was just a small, quick brush of the lips. But it still sent sparks through Marks body. He lifted his hand to cup Jacks face, and the blue eyes man parted from him to lean into his hand.

"I lo-" a beep could be heard from the kitchen and Jack blushed.

"Breakfast!" He cried before kissing Mark quickly and rushing from the room. "Hurry down!" Could be heard from the hallway as Jack rushed away.

...

Mark managed to pull himself out of the warn embrace of the covers, but he couldn't get that... other Jack out of his mind. The one with the old apartment. The stranger.

It was so strange. He wondered what on earth had possessed his dreams to make that happen. But strangely, the rest of the dream was fading fast. So fast that by the time he made it downstairs, all Mark could remember from his dream was that Jack was in it. And that he was a little different than his own Jack.

He found  _his_ Jack in the kitchen, leaning over the stove. Though because of his position Mark couldn't tell what he was leaning over.

Mark quietly sneaked forwards though, and snaked his arms gently around Jacks waist. "Morning..." he mumbled into Jacks shoulder.

"Good mornin' love," Jack mumbled.

"What'chya making Jackaboy?" Mark asked, placing a few little kisses over Jacks neck.

"Pancakes" was the quick answer he got as Jack continued to cook. Mark chuckled a little and placed his chin in the crook of Jacks neck.

"What are we gonna do today?" Mark asked.

"How about we head over to the park for a bit? Then we could maybe go out for lunch, yeah?" Jack asked, flipping a pancake that was slightly charred on one side. Mark nodded his head, hiding a chuckle in Jack's neck.

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled and pecked Jacks cheek with his lips. Jack giggled cutely and Mark smiled,  _what did I do to get this wonderful man as my own?_ He thought to himself, smiling.

"First, though, you're eating me pancakes."

...

Mark held Jacks hand in his own as they walked through the park. He smiled happily and looked over to the Irishman. Jack was practically glowing, smiling and waving at everyone. His eyes were alight with mirth and love and kindness. It was a beautiful sight.

But he also caught a glimpse of worry in his crystal blue eyes. He saw it every time Jack's eyes slid over to his direction, every time Mark stumbled a bit or rubbed his forehead.

"Jack? What's wrong?" he asked cautiously, pausing to look at Jack. He wanted to know why Jack was looking at him like that.

"What? Nothing's wrong! Everything's fine!" Mark gave Jack a flat look and Jack's shoulders sagged. He walked forwards to place his head on Marks shoulder and sighed.

"Yesterday you... you passed out Mark, and it wasn't like a 'oh I'm tired and decided to take a nap' kind of pass out... I'm just worried something could be wrong. What if..? What if this puts you back in the hospital? What if... what if..?" Jack's voice faltered and Mark felt a wet spot on his shoulder.

Mark wrapped his arms around Jack and held him close, rubbing the younger's back gently.

"It's okay Jack... I was just tired yesterday. It's nothing to worry about, I promise." Mark said, though he wasn't sure how true that statement was, he didn't want to worry Jack. Everything was all weird, with dreams and Jack and he wasn't sure what was happening any more.

He didn't even really remember why he'd been so confused that morning, but he had the lingering feeling that something was... wrong. He continued to rub Jack's back as he felt the other man's shaking come to a stop. He felt Jack shift so he was cradled in Mark's arms and Mark smiled.

"It's getting late, wanna go to dinner?" Mark blinked and looked up to the darkening sky.

"I didn't realize how late it was, sorry... did we miss lunch or something?" Jack chuckled at him and Mark looked down to see Jack's ocean blue eyes staring up at him. His eyes were glowing again, practically overflowing with love and joy.

"No, ya doof. We had a very late breakfast."

"Oh," Mark felt heat rising into his cheeks, and a smile playing across his lips, "I knew that." He heard Jack belt out a hearty laugh before lips were being pressed against his own. He smiled into the kiss and pressed back gently against Jack's mouth.

"Dinner?"

"Dinner."

...

Mark and Jack had talked and decided to just call a pizza place for dinner. Jack was still a little frazzled about the day before, though he tried to hide it. Mark could still see how worried he was, though he wasn't sure why. What had been so bad that happened?  _Is Jack not telling me something?_

Mark was worried now himself, over what happened the day before and why Jack was in such 'secretive' turmoil over it. He and Jack were almost home now, having rushed after making the mistake of calling the pizza place  _before_ they got home.

Mark smiled as reassuringly as he could to Jack, delighted as he watched his boyfriend smile and blush.  _Mission make Jack smile accomplished_. Mark grabbed Jacks hand and held it tightly, "I told you it's going to be okay Jackaroony. I'm fine, remember that."

"... I really shouldn't be fokin' surprised at this, should I?" Jack asked, his eyes having gone from wide and surprised to flat and very not surprised in a matter of seconds. Mark laughed and shook his head.

"Nope."

Jack chuckled and lifted his hand to Mark's face, seriousness flooding his eyes. "I know you've told me you're okay Mark... it's just... I can't... I don't want to lose you... I've come so close to losing you so many times already!" Mark's smile softened, and he leaned down to kiss Jack's cheek.

"You won't lose me Jack. I'm not leaving, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon." Mark smiled and pulled Jack into a hug, before releasing him and continuing their venture home. They arrived to their place right as the pizza delivery guy showed up.

"Oh, hey dude! Just give us a second to get stuff, um, Jack, can you grab the pizza?" Mark said, an embarrassed smile on his face as he fished around in his pocket for his wallet. He quickly paid the guy for the pizza, giving him a bigger tip than he normally would out of his embarrassment. 

When the couple finally made it back inside their home, they laughed and smiled at each other, seamlessly working together to grab plates and serve dinner for two. Eventually they made their way, food and drink in hand, to the couch where they set up 'Iron Man 3' on Netflix and settled in for a comfortable movie dinner.

About halfway through the movie Mark felt something land on his shoulder gently, and smiled as he looked down. Unsurprisingly he found Jack, asleep on his shoulder. He knew Jack had probably not gotten any sleep the night before, worrying about him.

He got up as softly as he could, lifting Jack into his arms and carrying him to their bedroom. Mark changed Jack into more comfortable sleeping clothes before tucking him in gently and placing a kiss on his forehead. He quickly changed himself and climbed into the bed with Jack, wrapping himself around his lover and whispering a soft goodnight before falling into the embrace of sleep.


	5. Stranger in a Strange World

Marks was surrounded by darkness, again. He couldn't see anything. He began to panic as he spins in what he assumed was a circle. His voice wasn't working, he couldn't call out for help.

_"Aw, are you scared of the dark, little man?"_

Mark stopped moving. That voice...

_"Pathetic, it's just a little dark. You should know better, Marki~"_

The voice sang in his ear. Mark lifted his arm to bat it away but... he didn't make contact with anything.

_"Or is it me your really afraid of? Are you scared of what will happen҉ in the dark when you lose your fight over control?"_

Mark felt familiar tendrils creeping up around his body. They felt like a heavy smoke. They wrapped around him, pinning him in his spot. He struggled against the bindings, looking down at himself to see dark chains. He pulled and pushed in any way possible, but they would not break.

Mark felt a hand in his chin, and then his face was lifted forcefully. Mark was looking into black eyes, black eyes on his own face...

_"Hello, Markimoo..."_

The other him smiled.

Mark scrambled backward, as best he could. Though, really, he didn't make it more than a few centimeters. The 'other him' was pale. Very pale, and had dark black eyes.

"Wh-whats going on?" Mark said, cursing himself for stuttering.

_"Oh, Mark... don't you know? You're being played with..."_

Mark felt his bindings contract slightly and he struggled to breathe properly.

_"You're mine now... and it's going to be so much fun toying with you."_

The darker being froze and looked up behind him as if he'd heard something. Then he turned back to Mark with a sick smile. Mark began to struggle again, not wanting to know what that smile meant.

_"I'll see you soon Marki..."_ The demonic man faded with his voice then, leaving Mark alone and tied up in the dark. The tendrils began to slowly tighten their grip on him and it slowly became harder to breathe with each inhale.

He tried to struggle against his bonds but only ended up falling over and curling in on himself. He tried to lift his head though when he heard the faint calling of his name coming from above him...

...

Mark's eyes flew open and he inhaled as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. He blinked slowly while surveying the room he was in as he gasped for breath and sat up slightly. A familiar cracked ceiling faded wallpaper... Sean was next to him with a concerned look.

"What happened?" He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke.

"You were mumbling in your sleep, to be honest, I didn't think much of it till I came by to wake you and you were thrashing in the bed and struggling to breathe."

Marks eyes were wide and he inhaled a shaky breath.

"Do you... wanna talk about it?" Sean's voice was hesitant, cautious. As if he wasn't sure he had the right to be asking. Mark shrugged.

"I-it... it's hard to explain..?" He said he paused, unsure if he should actually tell Jack. He looked into Jacks blue eyes and his shoulders sagged a little, he could trust this man. He wasn't sure why exactly, maybe it was his dreams influencing him right now, but he knew he could trust Sean.

"I was... I was with you? And there were pancakes. And, um... some other stuff," Marks face went a little red as he remembered bits and pieces from the dream when it had still been good. "Uh... then... then it changed. And... and there was something dark there. Very dark... and... and then there was another me? But he wasn't me, he was... he was different. And I was chained up and..." Mark shuddered at the faint feel of the fear he'd felt in the dream.

Sean's brows furrowed as Mark relayed the bits of his dream, mumbling to himself. Things like "he can't be" and "darkness? But that's not possible". Mark was really starting to worry.

"Sean?" He asked, talking quietly as he was unsure if he should interrupt the other or not. Sean's head shot up though as if startled. His eyes were wide and confused before they hardened and he stood. Sean left the room quickly, closing the door roughly behind him.

Mark was scared, to say the least.  _Did I do something wrong..?_ Mark questioned himself, and he sat still and quiet in the room he was in,  _Should I leave?_

Mark looked up when he heard the door open again, only to get hit in the face with a book of sorts. He turned his head back towards the door after a moment, holding the book in his hand with a with a confused look on his face.

"Write down your dreams, what you can remember. Maybe you'll thank me for it later." Sean's gruff face softened a bit as he turned from the door, "Now hurry up and get out here. We've got some shit to talk about."

...

Mark entered the room Sean was in cautiously. He wasn't sure how he should be feeling right now, nervous about what Sean had to say? Scared of what happened not ten minutes before? Relieved Sean didn't kick him to the curb in this strange world?

"Mark," Seans voice cut through his thoughts like a knife and Marks head shot up from where it had been hanging in thought. "Yesterday... You said that ya knew nothin' about what's happened, right?" Mark nodded his head and Jack grunted.

"Whell, it started a few years ago, I t'hink. No one's been able to track the exact amount of time that's passed since then, well at least I hav'n't. But, it started in... 2016 was it? Some scientists were bandin' togeth'r to try and create a 'super-warrior', like Capt'n America..."

...

_The first experiments had been failures, it wasn't until three years after telling the public about their experiments, they finally did it. They had created a serum that would slow the aging process, that would make the recipient stronger, faster and smarter._

_They were planning on the first human experiment. One of the scientists named Ken Morrison who volunteered himself as the first test subject. His wife and unborn child had died a few years before, so he found he had nothing to lose if the experiment failed._

_The container made to inject the serum since it was highly toxic when exposed to too much oxygen and carbon dioxide, didn't work like it was supposed to. Everything started going to shit, the container was overheating, gaining too much power too quickly._

_People ran away as fast as possible, before the container exploded, releasing the serum into the air and destroying the entire bunker._ _After only a few months only those naturally immune to the new toxin were still alive, and rumors of ALPHA taking over were spreading._ _The serum also had a strange effect on environments. Plants grew faster, but the skies and waters darkened, the world was cast into shadow._

_The second 'super' created, the first and only successful one, went dark. The omega plan was terminated, ALPHA, or those who claimed to be a part of the original ALPHA, took over most of the world, the dark was found and used to keep people in check._

...

Mark's mind was swirling with questions as Sean trailed off. He seemed to have more questions than answers now...

"Sorry if t'hat didn't make sense... I'm not used to explainin' this shite," Sean said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. Mark just blinked at him.

"If ye have any questions, ask away. I'll do me best to answer," Sean chuckled to himself. The look in his eye made it seem like he was... hiding something? Mark dragged a hand through his hair and he sighed through his nose.

"What's this ALPHA you were talking about?" Sean's shoulders sagged a bit as he sighed.

"Knew you'd ask that..." he mumbled. "ALPHA was... well they were a group of countries, united like t'e United Nations t'ing, hell some even left the UN fer ALPHA. They want complete control of t'e world. Would use everything to get it too... have used everything." Sean looked into Mark's eyes, they looked almost defeated to Mark. Like Sean had given up hope on things ever getting better.

Mark opened his mouth to ask another question, about the omeegle or omeaga or omniga or whatever Sean had said. He was cut off by Sean though before he could utter a word.

"You're gonna ask about 'omega' now, right?" Mark nodded his head, eyes a little wider than normal,  _how did he know that? Is he a mind reader?_ "And no Mark, I'm not a mind reader. Your facial expressions are pretty fokin' easy to read." Mark blinked but didn't comment, which seemed to amuse Sean.

"Anywhay, Omega was an experiment, to create the 'perfect' being. Like your modern day Capita'n America, as I said earlier. The Omega experiment was built fer t'e purpose of keeping world peace, being strong enough to fight thousands if need be, but smart enough to hopefully avoid th'at need. Fast enough to dodge bullets. Their aging process would be slowed so they could stay for years and years in their duty. The original experiment failed, and the serum created turned out highly toxic, more so than originally thought, when mixed with an 'overdose' of carbon dioxide and oxygen. After the initial explosive failure, the serum was released into the air. By six months the only people left on earth was a third of humanity that was naturally immune.

"After the first failure, three of the four remaining scientists from the original experiment continued the omega plan. They succeeded too, though not the way they were hoping. By the time they were ready to test it, the remaining ALPHA leaders had taken control over most of the remaining world. Omega was to be used as a weapon to bring back the separate nations and stop the fokin' oppression. Instead, the successful omega experiment went rogue. The man, one whom they call 'the dark' killed the scientists who were there... um, at least so I've, uh, heard. Then he disappeared. The dark was, at some point between one week and three months after his initial 'creation' was taken captive by ALPHA and turned into their slave. He was used to instill fear and annihilate any who refused to join ALPHA.

"The dark disappeared a while back, he hasn't been seen by anyone. ALPHA has been trying to cover it up, get others to play his role. But I've seen the fakes. None of them give off the aura of danger and death like the original. Though some are almost as powerful, probably minor recreations. they wouldn't be able to make an actual duplication without the original notes though. And I know for a fact they don't have them." Sean finished with a sly grin and a deep intake of air before his face fell into one of almost childlike innocence.

"Woah..." was all Mark could say. he sat there quietly, taking it all in. He internally analyzed all the new information, filing it. Organizing it in a way that made sense and fit with what he was told. He blinked slowly as he sat, completely focused on his thoughts and information.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but when he came back to reality he found Sean was no longer in the room with him. He carefully stood, making sure his legs didn't collapse under him. He grimaced as his feet went from comfortable to pins and needles straight away. He stumbled a bit, calling out for Sean as his knees gave out, as they too were taken over by fucking pins and needles.  _Fucking fuckity fuck!_ Mark thought as he went down.

He didn't notice how close to the coffee table he was till he felt the pain of its edge hitting his head.  _So fucking... clums... umsy..._ He saw Sean rushing towards him as the world faded in and out. He watched Sean's mouth move, but he couldn't focus as his eyes slipped shut.


	6. What is Happening?

Mark awoke slowly, jostled by something shaking his shoulder.  _Mark_ ,someone called his name, sounding worried. But Mark couldn't figure out why the voice sounded so familiar. And it was so far away...

_"Mark!"_ the voice cried. His shoulder was beginning to numb a bit. He wasn't sure if he liked that, the feeling of whatever was shaking his arm leaving. But the voice seemed to get louder for a moment, much more panicked before beginning to fade away.

Mark shifted and groaned, reaching out with his hand to find the voice. A familiar dark laughter began to fill the air around him as the world around him darkened. Mark's grasping for the hand became more frenzied and his voice made strange whimpering sounds.

_"Oh Ma~ark,"_ a darker voice sang over the panicked voice shouting his name. It was so far away... Mark thrashed around, trying to get away from the dark. His hand hit something hard, something small and warm and... comforting.

Small fingers intertwined themselves with his own, fitting perfectly in his hand. The darkness began to lift as he squeezed the other hand. The first voice started to become clearer as the dark screamed at him.

"Marhk?" a small accented voice said, right next to him. Mark's eyes fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the light. He turned his head a little to find Jack right next to him. "Mark! Are you okay?"

Mark opened his mouth a little to speak, but nothing came out. Quickly he closed his mouth and swallowed nodding his head. He coughed a bit as he turned over to face Jack, who was watching him worriedly.

"Are ya sure? You were t'rashing about and cryin' and... and for a moment there I'm sure you stopped breathing, Meark!" Jack's eyes were filled with tears and his breaths were a little off. Mark had the strangest feeling Jack was hiding something from him, but he didn't focus on that. Instead Marks eyes widened a bit and he reached out to pull Jack closer to him. One hand found it's way to his boyfriends hair as the other wound around his waist, pulling him to his chest.

"I..." his voice was whispery and he swallowed before continuing. "I'm not leaving you, I promise Jack..." he said in a small croaky voice. He felt Jack's head nod into his shoulder and Mark smiled, placing a kiss on the top of Jack's head. They rested like this for a while, Jack in Mark's arms, a smile on both their faces.

Jack shifted about to look up at Mark again. He frowned a little, practically pouting. "Is your throat feeling okay?  It sounds like your voice is absolutely wrecked." Mark looked down at Jack and nodded his head.

"Feels fine," Mark mumbled, "Just morning talk?" he said, questioningly. Jacks eyes softened a bit, but he still looked worried.

"You've never had it like this before. You're words just slur together a bit. Never a voice that sounds like you've been screaming for days on end..." Jacks voice was quiet. Suddenly Marks arms were empty and Jack was instead in front of him with a determined look in his eye.

"I'll be back in just a second." Jack said, turning to the door. He was almost out of the room when he poked his head back and said, "Don't go anywhere!" with a finger pointed at Mark. Mark chuckled silently as Jack then disappeared from the room.

Mark waited patiently in bed for Jack to return, sitting up a little and massaging his head where he'd hit it the night befo-

_Wait a minute._

Didn't that happen somewhere else?  _Jack was there... he was there and the place was...  practically empty. Strange stains on the walls and ceiling. Scratchy carpet on the floor..._

...

Mark had been staring off into space for quite a while, thinking in confusion about what had happened the night before. Or, at least what he thought had happened. But none of it added up.

He was sure he'd fallen asleep in bed with Jack. But then he remembered talking about this weird place with him. Something about ALPHA and omega and experiments... and then he tripped?

Mark rubbed at his forehead and frowned. His head hurt like he'd bumped it, but it didn't fit with how he got into bed. Even if he had hit his head, if he wouldn't wake up or respond after a few minutes Jack would have panicked and he'd have woken in the hospital. Not at home, in bed, with Jack only seeming to be worried about nightmares.

Mark was so lost in though he didn't notice his eye lids drooping or his body falling backwards to the bed until he was already there. He sighed and closed his eyes, falling back asleep.

...

"AAAANNNGGGHHHH! J-JACK!!! JACK!" Mark's voice woke him and he bolted up, turning to find his... his boyfriend tangled in sheets. He was sweating and shaking. Jack's hand quickly made it's way to Mark's shoulder and he shook it, first gently then harder. Mark's skin was like ice.

Jack shook him again and called his name, "Mark?" Mark's eyes seemed to fly open at his name, looking around. He bared his teeth at Jack and jerked away from him, though Jack's hand stayed firmly on his shoulder.

"Mark what's wrong? What's happening?" Jack asked, worry evident in his voice as he looked over Mark's form. His eyes scared him, they were dark, insane. Like right before Mark passed out at the park the other day.

_"Who's Mark?"_  a voice said. Jack gulped as he heard this. Mark's mouth had opened, his lips had moved as if he had spoken those words himself. But the voice seemed to come from his own mind, echoing through it and before fading to silence.

Mark's eyes darted around the room before staring right at him, looking at him as if he could see everything wrong he had ever done just by staring into his eyes. Jack swallowed again as a smile formed on Mark's face. A sick, twisted smile that seemed to stretch too far across his face.

_"Hello, Sean... it's nice to see you again..."_  the voice said. He sounded like he knew him, not like Mark did though. It sounded like you would expect someone to talk to another person whom betrayed them, someone whom they wanted revenge on but was trying to 'play nice'.

Jack was about to question what he meant when Mark's eyes closed again and a look of pain flashed across his face. His hand squeezed Mark's shoulder gently and he cried out Mark's name again, worried.

Soon Mark's eyes opened again, and they looked tired, scared. Jack tried to hide his sigh of relief, and carded his fingers through Mark's hair for a moment before pulling back.

"Mark? Mark! Are you okay?"

...

Jack sighed as he leaned against the closed door of their shared bedroom. Something was up with Mark, he just didn't know what...

He took in a deep breath and slowly made his way to the kitchen, thinking.  _Okay Jack, think. When did this start? ... A few days ago seems to be when he started acting off. At the park. We'd had a fun day out, planned on a 'week off' so to speak, having pre-recorded some videos so we could just spend time together. We had walked around the park and Mark started..._

...

_Jack and Mark had been relaxing after a nice day out. Just talking and walking around the park. Jack had... kind of hated it, the way Mark's eyes sparkled as he talked about plans he had and how much fun things were again and how much he loved his life. His perfect life. And Jack watched with a guilty expression that he hoped went unnoticed._

_And then, Mark had paused, a strange look on his face. One that freaked Jack out, one that scared him. It was like someone else was staring at him through Mark, and he didn't like it. Then Mark's face went pale and he swayed._

_Jack immediately raced forwards and held his boyfriend up, a worried look plastered on his face. Mark mumbled something like 'bench' and Jack was quick to find one and lay him down on it. He sat next to Mark and let the other man lean against him as he ran his fingers through Mark's dark locks of hair._

_Mark had passed out soon after that, mumbling something about darkness and death and how he had to protect everyone. He wondered briefly if he should take him to the hospital, but then shrugged it off. They'd been up late the past while, working themselves harder than normal. It was probably just exhaustion. Then Mark fell to the ground, Jack wasn't sure how, and Jack just barely caught him._

_"Mark? Mark, you gotta get up baby. C'mon Mark, you gotta get up!" he could see Mark's eyes flutter, "Mark?" said man blinked up at him owlishly._

_"Ja-ack?"_

...

Jack sighed as he reached the kitchen, running a hand down his face. Mark had been acting off since then.

"Maybe I should'a takin' him to the fokin' hospital," he mumbled, grabbing a glass of water for himself to drink before filling another for Mark. Yesterday hadn't been too bad, he'd just acted weird in the morning. And he was a little off throughout the day. But Jack had just brushed it aside, knowing that Mark couldn't have known. There was no way...

But waking to find Mark practically screaming in terror with his eyes closed though... that had been a new level of terrifying. And what happened still made a tremor go through him. He swore he heard the same voice chuckle softly as he turned back towards the bedroom with Mark's cup and he froze, his eyes searching everywhere for it.

When he found none, he quickened his pace and made haste back to the bedroom. He sighed softly when he opened the door to find Mark asleep again. He smiled and set the cup down on the bedside table.

"Oh Mark... What's happening?" he asked, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Mark's forehead before climbing into the bed and wrapping his arms protectively around his sleeping boyfriend. He still loved him, no matter what he did behind the others back, he still loved Mark.


	7. Memories of a Different Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: depicted suicide
> 
> To skip: will be encased by *blah blah*

Mark groaned as his eyes fluttered open. He lifted himself up off the ground he found himself on. There was an old coffee table next to him and a scratchy carpet beneath him. He let out a small sigh as he lifted a hand to rub at his head.

"I'm okay, I'm at Jack's place..." Mark told himself, letting out a pained grunt as his hand brushed across a small bump on his forehead. _How did I get that again?_ he asked himself with a little frown. He froze when he turned his head to find Jack  _right_ there.

"Sean's place. Yer at _Sean's_ place." he said gruffly. And he was literally right there, less than four inches away. He backed away a little as Sean's hands came up to his face and pulled him closer. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks. He could remember something like this happening before... but the memory like feeling felt different.

His eyes widened as Sean's lips came closer and closer, he felt as if his face was on fire. _Why am I acting like this?_ He thought, leaning back a little. Then Sean was gone, a small frown on his face.

"You've busted your head up pretty good, ye arse," he said, standing and, again, leaving the room. He came back with a glass of water and a pill. He held them out to Mark with an expectant look. "Yeh need to take em ya dingus. It'll take the pain from your head."

Mark warily took the pills. Something in the back of his mind was screaming at him to not trust him. _He's one of them! He's hurt us before! Don't trust him!_ the small, dark voice yelled. But Mark ignored it, pushing it to the back of his mind. Another, larger part of him knew for a fact he could trust this man. And no matter how confused he was at the moment, he'd trust the louder and more confident voice.

Once he'd finished his water he handed the cup back to Sean's awaiting hand. Sean disappeared into the other room and once more left Mark alone. He stood himself up shakily and sat himself on the old couch next to where he'd fallen.

When Sean returned he was watching him, a strange look on his face. One Mark couldn't really understand. He swallowed and decided to ask the question that had been on his mind for the few minutes he'd been awake and aware.

"What the fuck happened?" He asked, hoping Sean had an answer. Sean just shook his head though, coming a little closer to sit next to him.

"Honestly?" Sean asked him, his accent seemed to be heavier than his muddled mind remembered. Mark nodded his head. "I have no fuckin' clue. I left yeh alone fer two minutes and I come back to find yeh unconscious on me floor!" His voice seemed to get louder with each word and Mark couldn't help but shrink back a bit.

The small dark voice in his head began to speak again, panicked. _You can't trust him! He's yelling! He's got the power to do things, bad things, to us! Don't let him near us!_ He watched Sean frown at his movement and brought a pale hand closer to him. His eyes looked apologetic.

"Shit Mark, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to get so fuckin' loud. Just... yeh freaked me out." Sean let out a dry chuckle and leaned back, his facial expression returning to it's near emotionless features. It looked... wrong on him, somehow. Like he should be full of expression and energy.

"No, it's okay. Just my head hurts a bit still. Medicine hasn't taken effect yet." Sean nodded his head, realization dawning on his face.

"Ah, makes sense. You wanna tell me exactly what happened? How you ended up knocked... my... or..." Sean's voice began to fade out as Mark's vision was overtook by a picture.

_There was a woman. She was older, in her fifties maybe. Kind, but tired and hurt, brown eyes. Her dark hair was long and pulled into a quick bun on the top of her head. Her clothes looked just slightly too big, and her wrists and shoulders looked too small and frail for her body. Her face was gaunt and worn._

_Perhaps she was younger than she looked?_

_"Mark? Tell me exactly what happened!" the woman's voice called out, it sounded weary but concerned. Her voice was comforting._

_He noticed his head hurt... But he could feel a small smile forming on his lips._

_"Nothin' mom... just tripped on my way home,"  He's lying. He can feel it, sense it. This isn't the truth. But anything to make 'mom' happy, less stressed...._

_The scene flashed to another time. Not much longer after the last one. He was outside the house this time. It was dark inside. Why? The lights should be on. Mom should be home..._

_Another flash, this time he was inside. He was standing outside the bathroom door, banging on it. It was locked from the inside. And no one was answering him._

_* Another flash, the door was open. And what he saw made his stomach churn wildly. It was the woman... his mother...._

_She was in the tub, her eyes were open and glassy, and her head was tilted up. The water was a deep red and beneath the tub the floor was dyed the same gut wrenching color. Her hand was hanging limp, dripping red onto the floor. Drip, drip, drip... a steady, morbid beat._

_She was smiling. *_

_The scene once again flashed and changed. He was before a grave, but he couldn't read what it said. His vision was blurring too much. He had yellow flowers in his hand. Daffodils... They were her favorite. Another flash._

_Years felt like they had passed in an instant. He could feel anger and hurt writhing within him. He was sat at a desk, a paper in front of him. A form, a document of some sort. He was signing his name at the bottom... "Mark!" he heard someone shout, and he looked up. The room was empty._

_Then he was back at the grave site. He was bringing new flowers to replace the dead ones. "Mark!" he heard again. It was coming from in front of him... "Mark!" the grave seemed to shake and waver, the ground beneath it boiling._ _He drew in quick breaths and stepped back as the ground before the grave churned and bubbled. His own mouth opened as his eyes widened in fear and sorrow._

_"I'm sorry." He said, but his voice sounded deeper, more frightening than it ever had before. "Mark!" the voice shouted again, sounding broken and desperate. It was reaching out to him, calling for his power... he turned away from the grave._

"Mark!" the voice was loud, as if screamed into his ear, and he jolted. "Mark!" his head turned to the side and he blinked. _That woman... I called her mother but... but she couldn't have been mine. My mother had never, ever looked like that. Or died! She was still alive- wait... how do I? what am I talking about?! Just yesterday I knew next to nothing, and now I know what my mom looks like and that she's not dead?!_

"Sorry... I-uh..." he hesitated, unsure if he should tell what happened or not. Sean looked very freaked out and concerned. He looked terrified. His cheeks were red. His eyes were wide, bloodshot and puffy. His hair was disheveled and his clothes slightly rumpled.

"What THA FUCK WAS THAT?!"

...

"Ah, that makes sense. You wanna tell me exactly what happened? How you ended up knocked out on my floor?" Sean asked. He was worried about this man. This near complete stranger. Nevertheless, he was a stranger that looked suspiciously like the... he chose not to follow that thought. 

After a few beats of silence Sean turned to the other, concerned. Long periods of silence weren't normally a good sign. "Mark?" he asked as his head was still turning.

Instead of facing a lost in thought Mark, like he'd expected, like he'd hoped, he found himself staring into dark eyes. It was Mark, staring right at him. His eyes gave off a glow, deep red, though they still managed to keep their brown hue.

A strange smile was plastered on his face.

Sean found himself scrambling backwards as Mark's body followed the direction of his head. His movements were jerky, as if he wasn't used to his own body, and his eyes were unfocused.

" **A n** y **t h i** n **g   f** o **r** H **e r**. **. .** " Mark's voice was deep, deeper than he'd ever heard the man talk in the short time he'd known him. And it felt like a presence all on it's own, bouncing off the walls and filling the room with a feeling of dread.

He paused as what Mark said registered. _Her? Who's her?_ He didn't have long to contemplate this thought as words were again spoken. Well, more like yelled. Agony filled both the words and Sean's mind as they ricocheted off every surface.

" **M o** m  **!   W a** K **E   U** P **! !** " A black, tar looking substance began to drip from Mark's eyes. His brown eyes began to fill up, the whites slowly changing to black. Sean didn't pay much attention to it though, as he curled into himself on the other end of the couch, clutching at his head. The words seemed to hang in the air for ages, filling the room with confusion, terror and sorrow.

"S **h e   l**  o **v e** d    **D a** f **f o d** i **l s .** "

He screamed Mark's name, over and over, as the pain in his mind escalated. He wanted the other man to hear him and just _stop_. Whatever was happening needed to stop. "Mark! Mark! Mark!" he cried, over and over.

" **I** ' **M** S **O** R **R Y**." The words were spoken and the room filled with a soft yet terrifying red glow. Sean whimpered in fear and pain as he dug his blunt nails into his temples. His eyes were clenched shut and he could feel tears escaping them against his will.

The words seemed to constantly bounce and echo around the room, getting louder and more painful with every second. Each breath Sean pulled in was hard and made his chest shudder. He felt as if he were dying, in the cruelest, slowest way possible. And yet Mark's name was still falling from his lips, constantly.

And then, suddenly, it was gone. The noise had vanished, the glow in the room had disappeared. The pain in his head was leaving so quickly it left him feeling dizzy and worn out.

"Mark?" he said quietly, once the pain had receded completely. He lifted his head cautiously and found the other man breathing heavily. The black goop that had been pouring out of his eyes had dried and was now flaking off. His eyes were still swimming with the substance though, and they were very clearly unfocused.

"Mark!" he called out once more, lifting his hand to gently, hesitantly, shake the mans shoulder. "Mark!" Mark's eyes blinked slowly, and when they opened again Sean was relieved to see they were brown. Mark's eyes focused almost immediately on him.

"Sorry... I-uh..." Mark's voice trailed off and his eyes seemed to scan over Sean's face with a confused scowl. Sean waited a heartbeat, but when it was clear Mark wouldn't continue his lame excuse Sean burst.

"What THA FUCK WAS THAT?!" he cried out angrily, raising to his knees on the couch so he towered over the other. He needed to have control back. That had taken control from him, he needed to get it back. "SERIOUSLY, WHAT THA FUCK."

His breathing began to shorten and he struggled to find air. He fell back onto the couch and brought a hand up to his chest. "Wh-what tha f-fuck..?" he mumbled, over and over again. He shook his head as tears threatened to spill once more.

"Y-you... you were jus'... t'ere was black tar from yer eyes an' everyt'ing was red an-an' it was so _loud_..." he whimpered a little as he felt something big and warm envelop him, but he soon relaxed into it. _Just a moment... I can allow just a moment..._ he thought to himself.

He felt a hand running through his hair and heard Mark's soft whispers. It was almost as if he had done this with him before, for he knew exactly how to calm him down. Even the weird part of curling him into a small yet comfortable ball on his lap. He hadn't had this done since his mother had done it when he was still in middle school.

When he had calmed down and stopped rambling, he looked up at Mark. "Thank you..." he mumbled, his eyes drooping a little. The attention and gentleness of Mark's movements were beginning to make him tired. It had been a... well a rather short day it seemed, but he was completely worn out.

"Don't worry about it Sean..." Mark mumbled, and he felt a tired smile come to his face. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. Comfortable and safe... he didn't know why though. Especially since he'd only known this man for, what, a day?

"Don't expect this to happen again..." he said, his words slurring a little as his head rested sleepily on Mark's shoulder. He felt a rumble in Mark's chest as he chuckled and stood. He was shifted a little so that Mark could still move and was carried to his bed.

"I thought you'd say that," Mark said, amusement in his voice, "You always say that, Jack." Sean was too tired to rationalize how Mark knew that, or to chastise him for using _that_ name, and fell asleep almost as soon as his head was on the pillow and the blankets were wrapped around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guyssss.... comment please?
> 
> purteh plesh? i thrive off them, makes me feel i did a good, more than kudos do, NOT that those are bad! also, constructive criticism is great!


	8. Drip... Drip... Drip...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning : Depicted/Described Suicide

Mark awoke with a soft smile, his head resting on something warm and comfy and very obviously not his pillow. He smiled as he felt the hair on the top of his head move ever so slightly as Jack's chest moved beneath him with each breath of air.

He snuggled his head into Jack's chest lightly, resting in the warmth his boyfriend gave off. He enjoyed just resting and soaking in Jack's presence.

_Drip... drip... drip... drip..._

Mark frowned and lifted his head slightly. _What on earth is making that noise?_  He listened carefully, but didn't hear it again. After waiting a few more moments he shrugged to himself and lay back down. He knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, now that he'd woken himself up, but he could still enjoy the warmth he was basking in.

_"MOM!"_

A young voice echoed around him. He could see the floor of a small bathroom, the bottoms of a tub, toilet and sink lining the edges of his vision. A towel brushed the floor and made a muffled sound as it slowly slid down the wall from it's bar.

He felt as if time slowed as his eyes surveyed the small space he could see. Every color was monochromatic, every noise was dulled and muffled, except his own breaths which echoed loudly in his ears.

_Drip._

He tried to lift his hands to his ears as the sound reverberated around his skull, louder than anything he'd heard in his life, but he couldn't move. His eyes traveled to find a single red drop that had fallen to the floor by the tub. His eyes watched as another fell, ever so slowly, before hitting the floor with another deafening _drip_.

Then, as if time sped itself up, the pool of red began to grow, quicker and quicker, spanning out across the small room, dying everything it touched a dark red. And as it made it's way closer to Mark, the scene seemed to widen. And yet to Mark, he could only focus on the source of the red pool. First, a petite hand came into view, then an arm hanging limply out of the tub.

_Drip... drip... drip..._

The red trailed down the small, skinny arm in a spiral, coming from the arm itself. And it hit him. _It's blood_. As he realized this, it seemed the image zoomed in on the face of the person. A woman, eyes open wide, yet lifeless. A sickening smile plastered to her face as her body continued to pour out her life onto the stained tile floor.

Then he heard the voice cry out unintelligibly, echoing around him as his body shook. He watched as the woman's features changed, long wet and dark hair shortened and changed to a mostly green bush atop the head. Her small frail lips turned more familiar and, somehow, more sickening. Her dark eyes turned to a brilliant shade of blue and the, now, man in the tub gasped. 

Jack stared at him from the tub. Blue eyes wide and confused, mouth opening and closing as he tried to draw in air, but it seemed he couldn't.

"This i... is your f-fault..." he whispered, staring into Mark's eyes. He began to laugh, a breathy, horrible, sickening laugh that seemed to echo impossibly around the room. Mark tried to look away as Jack's laughter stopped abruptly, his mouth stretched into a too wide smile and his eyes wide. Mark tried to pull himself away but instead his eyes forced to stare into the dull, lifeless, grotesque grey eyes of Jack as his vision faded.

_"NO!"_

_..._

Mark's eyes shot open and he tumbled from the bed, drenched in sweat and kicking at the sheets still wrapped around his legs. _Gotta get out, gotta find Jack. Gotta save Jack._ He repeated to himself, over and over. His eyes were wide and panicked as he wildly threw his arms and legs around trying to free himself.

Soon he was tumbling over himself as he rushed to the bathroom, gasping for breath as he opened the door. The room was empty, no sign of Jack. Mark wasn't sure if he should be relieved or terrified.

He slowed himself and fell to his knees, shakily pulling himself to the edge of the tub. He froze and his vision tunneled as he heard a drip. It scared him, but he pushed himself forwards to the tub. His brain was fuzzy as his breathing picked up pace and his stomach churned in anxiousness.

He lifted his head over the edge of the tub and froze. The dripping was indeed coming from the tub, falling slowly from the nozzle. The tub was half filled with the water, the plug having been inserted. He sighed in relief, before he stopped breathing.

Mark watched in horror as another drip, from somewhere he couldn't identify, fell into the water, turning it red with each new drop. Mark felt himself panicking, pushing himself as far away from the tub as he could. His vision was swimming as he whimpered and cried in fear and pain.

"J-JACK!"

His vision was blurring as tears welled up and fell down his face. He was clutching at his head as the drips became deafening to his ears and his voice seemed to stop working.

And then...

Everything stopped, and once again, all Mark could hear was his own labored breaths, only this time he couldn't see. As his vision focused Mark found he was not suddenly blind, but rather his face was pressed up against someones clothed chest. He began to relax as his senses picked up on the hands carding softly through his hair and the low humming that rumbled through whoever was holding him and into Mark like magic.

His breaths evened out and he began to melt into the arms of the person holding him like he was something precious and fragile. Though he couldn't stop the tears from returning as he was rocked back and forth slowly and gently.

"Mark? What's wrong?" he heard a familiar voice say, one that would usually calm him down. but now it only served to make his small cries turn into full on sobs as his shoulders began to shake. His hands clutched at the fabric in front of him and he lifted his head slightly to place it in the crook of their neck.

"Mark, honey? Shh, shh... calm down... deep breaths, that's it... shhh..."

Mark couldn't help but do as the familiar voice asked, breathing deeper and calmer as his eye sight cleared again. He took in deep breaths through his nose, the familiar scent of his lover calming him even more as he buried his face the the crook of, what he could only assume was, Jack's neck.

"There... that's it Marki. Now, can you tell me what happened?" Jack's soft accented voice asked him, calm and safe. Mark, almost imperceptibly, nodded his head. He took a few more calming breaths as Jack's warm hand ran through his hair. He didn't overly want to share what just happened, but he knew if he didn't it would haunt him the rest of the day, perhaps even to his sleep later.

"I... th-there w-was..." he gulped in a breath of air and let out a shaky breath, pushing himself off Jack reluctantly. "C-can we go to the bedroom?" he asked in a small voice, his eyes staring cautiously at the, now silent, tub as he pressed himself against the wall. His eyes then traveled up to Jack's face, and his _very blue, not grey or dull or lifeless_ eyes.

He felt more tears rise up into his eyes and he launched himself at Jack, wrapping his arms around Jack's neck and pulling him as close as he could. "Don't die. Don't kill yourself in the tub. Or anywhere. Just don't die on me okay. Please don't I would die too and... andIdon'teverwanttoseeyoureyessolifelessanddullagain. It'sscaryandpleasejustdon'tdie" he said, barely breathing as his shoulders began to shake and the tears began to slowly fall again.

"Woah, Mark... I... what are you talkin' about?" Jack sighed softly as Mark clutched to him for dear life, and he felt a hand slip behind him, holding him close. "It's alright Mark... let's head back to the bedroom and talk about this a little, okay?" Mark nodded his head again and let Jack pull him up shakily.

He stumbled his way back to their room, leaning heavily on Jack. When they'd made it to the bed he just let himself fall, only shifting so that he could wrap his arms around Jack's midsection when the man sat next to him.

"Now, Mark... can you tell me what happened? And this time, take it slow... okay?"

"O-okay..." Mark said, his eyes looking up at Jack before he turned them away and snuggled into Jack, letting the blue eyed man play with his hair. "I... It started and I c-couldn't move... and there w-was dripping and-and it w-was so loud... and then there w-was blood and a d-dead woman who-who looked a little familiar a-and then she turned into you and-and you said it w-was my f-fault a-and-and you were sm-smiling and l-laughing a-and your-your eyes faded a-and pleasedon'tevermakemeseethatpleasepleaseplease..."

Mark stopped talking, breathing shakily as Jack's one hand played with his hair and the other rubbed his back. He could feel tears pooling in his eyes and he tried his best to hold them back. He let Jack's comforting hand calm him as he breathed.

"Is that all, love? How did you end up in the bathroom? Can you tell me?" Jack's sot voice reached his ears and he nodded his head, feeling childishly frightened by what had happened.

"I-I went t-to find you... a-after I woke up... I-I needed to m-make sure you weren't in there..." he mumbled pathetically, curling up a little as his head rested on Jack's thighs. "A-and you weren't in there... b-but the tub ha-had water in it a-and it turned into-t-turned into b-b-blo... i-it w-went red..." he said in a small child like voice that caused Jack's fingers to pause in their comforting movements before resuming.

"It'll be alright Mark... I'm right here, I'm fine. And I'm not leaving..." Mark felt Jack's breath against his cheek and knew the other had leaned down to whisper this too him quietly. He could feel Jack's cold lips on his forehead in a small kiss that made him shiver in memory of the... dream? Vision?

"Why don't we curl up on the bed and try to sleep, hm? Maybe you just need to rest... I'll be-"

"No! N-no, I don't wanna sleep again!" Mark nearly shouted, shooting up and looking at the other man with big, scared brown eyes. "I-it... it might c-come back..." he whimpered quietly. Jack's eyes softened in understanding and concern.

"Okay Marki, okay. Why don't we head downstairs and put on a movie, yeah?" Mark nodded his head and watched as Jack stood up and held a hand out to him. "Comin or what?"

Mark felt a small smile appear on his lips as Jack said this, reaching out and grabbing his hand. He giggled softly as he was pulled up and out of the room, past the dreaded bathroom and down the stairs before he was plopped onto the couch.

Jack didn't join him immediately, instead going to the TV and messing around with it a little until the movie he'd chosen actually started to play. Then he joined Mark on the couch and Mark smiled as he leaned himself on Jack's shoulder.

After watching a few Marvel movies with Jack, resting comfortably on said man's shoulder, Mark began to drift off. And at that moment, he wasn't scared about the strange dream he'd had earlier, he was just happy to have Jack with him. The last thing Mark saw before falling into a strangely familiar darkness, was Jack's bright blue eyes.


	9. Prove It

When Mark awoke, his eyes blinked blearily and he yawned. His arms were full of something warm and cuddly. He couldn't help but pull it closer and snuggle his face into it. He was a little confused as to what  _it_ was, though. He shot up when he heard a grunt, arms flailing outward and mouth opening.

"Who, what, where?!" he practically shouted, he regretted it soon after when he was hit in the stomach with a pillow, "Ow!"

"Shut up, ya doof. It's too early fer this..." he heard a guy say beneath him. He blushed when he realized Jack was what he'd been cuddling. His hair was all over the place and a cute little pout adorned his face.  _Sean. It's Sean, not Jack..._

"Aw, is Sean-y-poo not wanting to get up and face the day?" he said in a teasing voice, a slight smile on his lips. He'd almost managed to make himself forget the world outside looked like shit. And was run by some 'ALPHA' with an 'omega' experiment killer on the loose.

He heard a soft, sad chuckle, as Sean sat up and rubbed his face. He smiled at Mark and climbed from the bed. His shirt was changed quickly and Mark blushed and averted his gaze a little.  _Why? I've seen it all before... wait, what? When did I..?_ An image of another Sean, smiling and holding his hand.  _Jack..._

Mark shook his head a little, and when he looked up, Sean was gone. He heard someone moving about in the kitchen and figured it was Sean making food. He sighed happily. Things felt... amazing. Like nothing bad could happen,  _normal_. 

But he also knew that wasn't true.

Not here. Soon enough he was pulled from his melodramatic thoughts by Sean shouting from the kitchen. He decided he should probably see what was causing the commotion and headed down the stairs. What he found was... not what he expected.

"Sean, what the hell did you do?!" he asked, trying not to laugh. Sean was in the middle of the dirty kitchen, surrounded by some pots and pans, and a couple of plastic kid cups. A few giggles slipped past Mark's lips and full-fledged laughs soon tumbled out after Jack glared at him, a bright pink plastic cup stuck in his floof of hair atop his head.

"Oh my gods, Sean, how did you manage this?" he asked between his breathy laughs, nearly falling over himself.

"Sh-shut up!" Sean said, blushing as he pulled the cup off his head and started cleaning, "And if ye want ta stay here, ye bett'r st'hart helpin'," he said, a ton of finality in his voice. Mark, recognizing the tone, though he wasn't sure why knew he wasn't joking and quickly sobered up and started to help.

"But really. What were you doing?"

"...I was tryin' ta reach tha top shelf an' fell..."

"Pfft-"

"Don't you dare, or yer out."

...

The day had been rather quiet since then, nothing really happening and the two just enjoyed having company in the silence of the world. Sean did seem a bit... wary, though. Eyeing him every now and then. It was a little unnerving, but he didn't question it.

"Hey, Mark?" Sean asked suddenly, just after they made a small lunch of tuna sandwiches.

"Yeah, Sean?"

"... do you remember any more of where ye came from?" Mark frowned a little, thinking back. He stopped when a dull ache began at the back of his head. He lifted his hand to rub at the spot, to try and sooth it. It didn't work.

"U-uh. No, every time I try it hurts. Like, really fucking hurts."

Sean's face twitched a little, and he scooted closer to Mark, lifting his hands to Mark's head with a set frown. He pulled Mark's head down to inspect it, before huffing.

"This might hurt a bit," he said before his hands were tugging at something in Mark's hair. He was confused as to why Sean said that, for a moment. It didn't hurt all that much-  _oh_. He muffled a cry of pain as he felt something physically being  _pulled out of his head_. It seemed to go on forever before Sean stopped. A feeling of release washed over him.

"Fuck..." was all he heard Sean say before he was drowned in memories.

...

_"Top 'a tha mornin' to ya Markimoo!"_

_"Jaaaack... noooo, it's to earlyyyyy... put the covers baaaaaackkkk"_

_"Nope, it's me birt'day. So yer getting up and we're going ta Disney!"_

_"Oh? We are?"_

_"Yup! So yer gettin' up now!"_

_"...Fine. But only because I love you."_

_"YAY"_

_..._

_"Marki-mark!"_

_"Yes, Jackaboy?"_

_"Dude! I found the best thing!"_

_"Yeah? Better than that double bacon cheeseburger at the small joint in the middle of nowhere?"_

_"It better be! It's called the hunka-hunka! It sounds gross, but at the SAME TIME IT SOUNDS FUCKIN' AWESOME!"_

_"Yeah? What's in it?"_

_"Bacon, peanut butter, and banana."_

_"Oh my gods, no."_

_"Oh your gods, yes."_

_..._

_"Mark!_ _Are ya feelin' okay? You were napping on my shoulder when ya... ya just toppled ov'r. I barely caught ya 'fore ya hit the ground Markimoo. You were groaning somethin' fierce too."_

_"Where's the alley? How'd we get here?"_

_"Alley? Mark, we aren't in an alley, haven't been all day... what are ya talkin' about? ..._ _Are ya feelin' alright sweetheart?"_

_"'M tired... wanna go home..."_

_"Alright, then Markimoo; let's get ya back home."_

_..._

_"You know I think I'm starting to get jealous of my own picture,"_

_"Aw, you want your Markimoo to pet your face Jacky?"_

_"Maybe... I lo- Breakfast! Hurry down!"_

_..._

_"Jack? What's wrong?"_

_"What? Nothing's wrong! Everything's fine! ..._ _Yesterday you... you passed out Mark, and it wasn't like an 'oh I'm tired and decided to take a nap' kind of pass out... I'm just worried something could be wrong. What if..? What if this puts you back in the hospital? What if... what if..?"_

_"It's okay Jack... I was just tired yesterday. It's nothing to worry about, I promise."_

...

_"Are ya sure? You were t'rashing about and cryin' and... and for a moment there I'm sure you stopped breathing, Mark!"_

_"I... I'm not leaving you, I promise Jack..."  
_

...

_"J-JACK!"_

_"Mark? What's wrong? Mark, honey? Shh, shh... calm down... deep breaths, that's it... shhh... There... that's it Marki. Now, can you tell me what happened?"_

_"I... th-there w-was..."_

_..._

"I... I remember... I remember!" Mark said, a little louder than he intended, but oh well. He looked up at Sean, smiling, but it fell as soon as he saw his eyes. He saw Jack there, an almost exact copy. And he saw absolute horror as well, "W-what's wrong, Ja- Sean?"

"You've been marked by ALPHA! This- this is the same device we- they planted in the omega project! It kept him from turning on them! Why- why do you-?!" Sean's face began to get angry, "Were you spying on me?! Did they send you?!"

Mark shrank back a little, curling himself into the corner of the couch. Then, he looked down at Sean's hand. A small circular disc-like device was hanging from it, red and black wires coming from beneath it. The disc had a small symbol on it, like an 'A' with little spikes down the sides and a twisted 'o' around it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Sean!"

"HOW COULD YOU NOT. THIS IS THE SYMBOL FOR ALPHA! IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, HOW DID IT GET  _IN_   _YOUR HEAD_?!"

"I-I _don't know_! I- all the memories are- they're from somewhere else! It's  _my_  memories! I didn't come from here!" Sean's face looked at him, calming slightly, but still in an angered shock.

"What?"

"I'm not from here! There, there was another you- Jack! A-and we were together, we have a house! And we're happy! I-I don't get it!" Sean snarled and rolled his eyes.

"You think lying about an alternate universe where we're all happy is going to make me think you're telling the truth?!"

"I'm not lying!" Mark was close to tears now, though he wasn't sure why.  _Why won't he believe me? I have to prove it to him somehow- wait. Maybe if I... they did seem to coincide with this world, sleep in one awake in the other, right?_

"I can prove to you I'm not lying."

"What? How?" Sean's face was all confused as if he'd expected a different reaction than the close to tears, yet still confident sounding, voice. Mark swallowed as Sean gave him a strange look as if he was... almost scared.

"I... If I sleep in one place, I wake up in the other. I think... I've been having weird... well I thought they were dreams. But... I can remember every detail of that other life. But I still don't remember anything from here, except since I met you in the alley. But, I'm pretty sure if I fall asleep here, I'll wake up there. So, if that's what happens, when I wake up, I'll be able to tell you what happened in detail. Then would you believe me?"

Sean frowned, and shook his head, "No. Because you'd have all day to make a story up. I wouldn't believe it," then, Sean's eyes lit up in a fascinating way. Like a light bulb went off and he was excited, but also worried.

"What?"

"I think I have an idea."

...

"Sean, what are you doing? Why are you packing? What is that?!"

Mark was watching with wide, confused eyes as Sean scrambled around the apartment grabbing all sorts of things.

"I'm packing, cause we're leaving," he said with a smile, "We're going somewhere, so I can do some tests to see if you are telling the truth," and then he was back to running around and grabbing random things before stuffing them in his bag.

"Some... tests? Like a lie detector?"

"Uh, sure. A lie detector. Let's call it that, yup," Sean sounded more like he was just saying that to appease Mark and keep him from running or something than actually agreeing with him. After Sean picked up what looked to be a small key card, he was grabbing Mark's wrist in his surprisingly strong grip, and tugging him out the door.

"Where, exactly, are we going?" Mark asked as he was pulled down the street. All he received was a glare from Sean before he was tugged along again. The path they took to wherever they were going was long and confusing, but Sean seemed to know where they were.

Once they'd reached a certain point, judged by Sean, he stopped and pulled something from his bag. It was a blindfold,  _a fucking blindfold_. But, Mark didn't complain. Instead, he bent his head in understanding, because he knew Sean was paranoid.

"So, will I get to take this off for testing?" he asked, his voice joking. He only got a gruff grunt in response. Soon enough, the blindfold was securely attached and Sean's hand was back on his wrist, tugging him along. Mark was even more lost, now. They could be headed straight back to the house and he'd never know.

"We're here," he heard Sean say, tugging him through what he assumed was a small doorway roughly. The blindfold fold was taken off quickly, and Mark found himself in an oddly familiar place. Oddly, because he felt it wasn't  _him_  that recognized it, but... it was?

He shook his head as Jack smiled triumphantly. He must've seen something in Mark's look, or he was just proud that he'd managed to get in or something. After looking around, Mark realized he was in a lab of sorts. And a pressured feeling of fear began to rise in him.

"Recognize the place, Mark?"

"...no?"

"You don't sound so sure of yourself."

"I don't recognize this place-"

**"Get me out of here. I will not come back. Get me _out!_ "**

Mark shuddered as his mouth moved, but his own voice didn't come from it. This voice was deeper and had a slight echo. Sean's face had paled considerably as Mark stumbled a little and cradled his head.  _That felt fucking weird..._

"Y-you... h-he's... jaesus..." he heard Sean mumble, he looked up from his hands.

"I... I don't know what that was, Sean. I've never- this has never happened before!"

"Yes, it has," was all Sean said, before grabbing him and pushing him onto a table. He was strapped down, and he felt something in his head thrashing, screaming at him to  _not do this. Don't let him do this! He'll hurt us again!_

The voice sounded vaguely like a muffled version of whatever just talked. But Mark couldn't question what it meant, or Sean's words, as the first thing done after he was on the table, was a cloth of some sort over his mouth.

"It's just part of the test Mark," Sean said, pulling some wires and bringing them closer to his head, "I'm going to put you to sleep and measure your brain waves, among other things. I'll know if you're telling the truth about waking in another universe after."

And then, he flicked a switch, and Mark was out like a light.


	10. Back with Jack

Mark awoke with a start, looking around. He gently moved his hands, relieved to find them not tied down, then he brought his hands up to his head.  _No wires, good_. He smiled when he noticed someone curled up in his side.  _Jack. My Jack..._

He couldn't help himself as he pressed a soft kiss to the others forehead, smiling. He hadn't done that in a while... twice that amount if one counts that... other world... He frowned a little and sat up slowly, as to not wake Jack. He looked around, everything was in place... there was nothing out of the ordinary...

It couldn't be a dream.

He carefully got out of bed, his feet padding softly against the floor. He checked every nook and cranny for something that wouldn't make sense in the real world, for something dream like. He found nothing, and he relaxed his shoulders with a sigh after he searched the entire house. He knew it was probably strange, but he  _needed_ to check. Just in case.

"Mahrk?" a tired, Irish voice called from behind him, "What're ya doin'?" Mark spun around, but relaxed when he realized it was Jack. He smiled and made his way over, scratching at the back of his neck. When he got up to Jack, he opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Jack practically falling on him.

"I was scared wh'hen I didn't see ya in bed t'his mornin'," Jack sniffled, his head nuzzling into Mark's shoulder, "A-after what happened yesterday I- I thought-"

"Sh, it's alright Jack, it's alright. There's nothing to be worried bout, I'm fine. I'm right here, yeah?" he laughed a little, quietly. This  _proved_  it wasn't a dream. Jack was very real in his arms, and so were the tears falling onto his shoulder.

"W-what were ya doin' down here?" Jack's muffled voice floated up from his shoulder. He smiled, and pressed a kiss to the top of his green head.

"Just checking some stuff," he mumbled, relaxing and holding Jack. He sighed happily.  _This can't be fake._

...

The day had passed rather slowly, and Mark was very okay with that. He'd made sure to treat Jack like a prince all day. He could tell Jack was confused, but he didn't really care. The biggest problem was, though, that he couldn't seem to fall asleep. His mind was buzzing with thoughts, and he didn't want to have to go back to Sean so soon.

Plus, he was worried about Jack. Every time he did something... something like he used to, when they first started dating, things he hadn't really done in a long while... Jack got this strange, guilty, far off look in his eye.

It had been hours since Jack fell asleep next to him now. He was usually fast, and heavily, asleep by this point. He froze when he heard an alarm go off from the desk on the other side of the bed. Jack's side... Jack's phone. He wondered what it was for, because that was definately not the sound of a call or text.

He played 'sleeping' when he felt Jack shift and groan against him. A hand flopped over and turned off the alarm, before Jack sat up. Mark's eyes were closed, so he couldn't really see what was going on. But he could feel Jack leaving the bed.  _It's still dark out, not morning yet. Can't even be much longer past midnight. What is he doing up?_

Mark was so caught up in his questioning thoughts, though, that he hadn't notice Jack leave the room till he was already gone, the front door closing behind him downstairs. Mark frowned,  _Why is he going outside?_

He sat up himself, going to the closest window that overlooked the front of the house. Which just so happened to be the bathroom across the hall. He left the light off, and peered out. Jack was no where in sight. But the car was still in the driveway, so he couldn't have gone too far...

_Just stay in tonight, think it over. You have till he gets back, and the rest of the night! Just... don't go to sleep! Cause if you do you'll go back to Sean and possibly forget. You know how bad you are with forgetting things._

Mark sighed, he couldn't argue with his brain on this one. Besides, if Jack did it the next night too, he could follow him then. Right?

...

Jack didn't return home till morning, about an hour before Mark usually woke up. Mark was, again, faking a deep slumber, as Jack hurried around the room. He sounded like he was late back, as if something had gone wrong...

_How many times has he done this?_

Mark couldn't help but wonder, as he felt Jack climb into bed and cuddle up to him. He smiled a little as he felt Jack's lips press against his cheek lovingly.  _See, he came back. He still loves you. Everything's okay._

When Mark felt Jack's breathing even out, he waited another few minutes before turning over and smiling at his sleeping boyfriend. He let his eyes take in his soft features, his hair that tumbled across his face. He didn't really look like Sean when he was awake. Jack was softer. His smile could always light up whatever room he stepped in. His hair was bright, colorful. His eyes sparkled with joy almost every time you looked into them.

Sean was nearly the exact opposite. His face and body were hard, rugged. His hands were calloused, by what he was unsure. He never really seemed to smile a whole bunch, and when he did it looked sad. His hair was a dull, faded green,  barely even styled. And his eyes... compared to Jack's they were dead, dead and cold. As if he'd lost all hope in the world around him.

But... to Mark they were both beautiful. Both worth loving. He knew he loved Sean too. Because Sean  _was_ Jack, just a little different. He wasn't exactly sure when he realized he'd loved him either. But he didn't try to stop it.

_It's not cheating if they're the same person in alternate universes... I think. Plus, Sean doesn't like me anyways. So it's a pointless venture._

He sighed and sat up, gently moving Jack over so as to not wake him. Then, he mad his way downstairs and started brewing coffee. Jack would be up soon, especially if he didn't want Mark knowing about what he'd done last night. He decided to focus his thoughts elsewhere for the time being, and started making breakfast.

As if on cue, as soon as the coffee finished Jack was wearily walking into the room, rubbing his eyes.

"Mornin', Jackaroonie," Mark said, turning around to give him a kiss. Jack didn't even respond. To the name or the kiss. Instead, he turned his head so Mark got his cheek, and grabbed some coffee, "Something wrong, Jack?"

"Mmn, my lip hurts. I t'hink I got a cold-sore," Jack mumbled, turning to look at Mark. He tilted his head towards the lightly and sleepily grabbed at his lip.

"See anyt'hing?," he asked, and Mark leaned forwards to look. Sure enough, there was an ugly sore on the side of Jack's mouth. Mark frowned,  _this means no kiiiiisseeeessssssssss,_  he whined to himself.

He pulled away from Jack with a pout. Jack just chuckled, pressed a kiss to his hand, and then pressed his hand to Mark's lips.

"May not be a proper kiss, but it'll have to do, Markimoo," Jack said, smiling wide. Mark rolled his eyes, but smiled brightly. He dramatically brought his hands to his lips.

"Oh! My dear prince has bestowed upon me a kiss!"


End file.
